Ottawa: In a letter delivered to Mauril Bélanger today, Ed Broadbent was strongly critical of the delay in the government’s response to the report tabled by the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs recommending a process that engages citizens and parliamentarians in an examination of our electoral system with a review of all options.

“I am writing about my concern that the government has broken a commitment to implement a process of electoral reform in the coming session of Parliament. This is a serious betrayal of dealing with Canadians’ desires for a new kind of politics, politics that is beyond cynicism. Because your government has failed to act over the summer it is now impossible to meet promised deadlines for electoral reform,” wrote Broadbent to Minister Bélanger.

“The government is fully aware that work needed to begin during the early part of the summer if there were to be any hope in meeting the report’s deadlines, deadlines that you yourself approved of,” stated Broadbent in reference to the fact that the government would have had to start the tendering process for the citizens’ consultation work at the latest in July. Nothing has been done.

Broadbent also criticized Belinda Stronach, who has joined Bélanger as Minister responsible for Democratic renewal.

“Both Ministers have failed in their responsibilities on this matter.”

Broadbent emphasized that the timeframe, October 1, 2005 – February 28, 2006 was proposed by the committee only after consultations with Minister Bélanger.